There were 11 wide receivers drafted in the first 50 selections of the 2024 NFL Draft, including three in the top-10 overall. Through five weeks, there have been varying levels of success for those players.
CBSSports.com has been tracking them all season and now places a grade on each of their performances.
Marvin Harrison Jr., Cardinals: Round 1, No. 4 overall
Grade: B
Harrison leads all rookie receivers in air yards per target (14.2), according to TruMedia. He has 17 receptions on 35 targets for 279 yards and four touchdowns. 82.4% of his receptions have gone for either a first down or a touchdown, which is fourth most among all NFL receivers. He has been winning jump balls downfield and moving the chains as anticipated. Relative to expectations, there is another level of domination that he has yet to reach.
Malik Nabers, Giants: Round 1, No. 6 overall
Grade: A
Nabers did not play this week as he returns from a concussion. If he had been available in Week 5, his grade would have been a perfect 'A+.' It is hard to ask much more of a player that has been pacing to set rookie receiving records. He has been targeted 52 times this season -- no other rookie has more than 36. In those opportunities, he has amassed 35 receptions for 386 yards and three touchdowns. New York is feeding him the ball at all three levels of the field and he has the most yards after the catch (156) among all rookies.
Rome Odunze, Bears: Round 1, No. 9 overall
Grade: B-
Odunze has 15 receptions on 29 targets for 206 yards and one touchdown. He has done a great job route-running and creating separation. The statistics do not really reflect how well he is playing. It has looked like Chicago has been trying to get D.J. Moore involved more in the pass game, because he has been more publicly frustrated. Odunze is going to be a big part of this offense and fans will see that more as the season progresses. His 13.76 air yards per target is the second highest among rookie pass catchers, according to TruMedia.
Brian Thomas Jr., Jaguars: Round 1, No. 23 overall
Grade: B+
Jacksonville finally got their first win of the season on Sunday against the division rival Colts. The Jaguars were slow to integrate him into the offense the first two weeks, but he has been fully unleashed over the last three games. He is averaging 8.67 targets per game over that time. On Sunday, he had an 85-yard touchdown reception, which was essentially a byproduct of miscommunication in the Colts secondary, but Thomas showed off his speed once he got behind the defense.
Xavier Worthy, Chiefs: Round 1, No. 28 overall
Grade: C
Worthy is doing what was expected of him thus far. He has been a bit limited in his route-tree and Patrick Mahomes is really only targeting him on go routes and organic pick routes across the field that lead to Worthy having room to make plays post-catch. He leads all rookies in yards after the catch per reception (8.7), but has just nine receptions to his name. The Texas product plays the Saints on Monday Night Football.
Ricky Pearsall, 49ers: Round 1, No. 31 overall
Grade: Incomplete
Pearsall was shot and admitted to a hospital ahead of his regular season debut. San Francisco has yet to activate him from the injured reserve. When San Francisco drafted him out of Florida in April, the thought was that Brandon Aiyuk may ultimately be traded. Fast forward four months and Aiyuk was signed to a lucrative contract extension.
Xavier Legette, Panthers: Round 1, No. 32 overall
Grade: C-
Last weekend looked like the game that would finally get Legette going. He was crisp out of his routes and Andy Dalton was efficiently distributing the football. On Sunday against the Bears, it looked like the first-round pick was jogging through routes at times. He finished with one reception on one target in garbage time against Chicago.
On the year, he has 13 receptions for 151 yards and 1 touchdown.
Keon Coleman, Bills: Round 2, No. 33 overall
Grade: C+
Coleman has nine receptions on 16 targets for 175 yards and 2 touchdowns. He had a touchdown with Texans rookie cornerback Kamari Lassiter in coverage this weekend; although he may have gotten away with a bit of a push on that particular play. There is a ways to go before Coleman becomes a consistent part of the Bills offense.
Ladd McConkey, Chargers: Round 2, No. 34 overall
Grade: A-
Los Angeles is bereft of options in the pass game, which makes McConkey's production all that more impressive considering the defense usually knows where the ball is going. McConkey's route breaks are sudden and that allows him to create separation for quarterback Justin Herbert. McConkey has 15 receptions for 176 yards and two touchdowns on 24 targets this season. The Chargers were on a Bye this weekend.
Ja'Lynn Polk, Patriots: Round 2, No. 37 overall
Grade: C+
Polk was one of the draft surprises. His talent warranted top-50 consideration, but he was not being talked about that way within the media. Polk is a reliable pass catcher, but has struggled to consistently create separation. His nine receptions for 74 yards and 1 touchdown have come on 19 targets.
Adonai Mitchell, Colts: Round 2, No. 52 overall
Grade: C
The pass game has been rejuvenated with Joe Flacco under center. Josh Downs and Mitchell are getting more involved in the offense. It looked as though Mitchell struggled with his footing out of breaks on Sunday, but Flacco targeted him on seven of his 12 routes ran. He did a fine job with route-running, but needs to do a better job of finishing plays. Those were his first receptions since having one each of the first two weeks.
